College Central®

Kara Schell -- Many students want to be financially successful, so they choose a major that will lead to the career path with a lucrative salary. However, more than ever, what you major in college doesn't determine the type of job you'll have once you graduate.

You're sitting in the computer lab at your school taking a career aptitude test. Why these are still required, you do not know, but you don't complain because you're getting out of analyzing Romeo and Juliet for the class period. After what feels like thousands of yes/no questions you are finally shown the perfect career for you, a Freight Account Executive! You are then told you have the option of majoring in Accounting or Finance. Although you really wanted to major in Education, this job says you'll make a good salary, and if a computer said it's a perfect fit for you it must be, right?

Every college application cycle, the question, "What should my major be?" starts showing up on message boards, during conversations with your friends, and everywhere between. This decision has a significant weight on your application, but how much does it weigh on your future?

Many of us want to be financially successful, so we choose a major that will lead us to the career path that will give us a lucrative salary. However, more than ever, what you major in college doesn't determine the type of job you'll have once you graduate. Yes, there are careers like medicine and law that require a more specific undergraduate major in order to give students the background they need in order to be successful in medical or law school. But luckily for others, employers are looking for other types of qualifications that a candidate has other than just their major. Many companies, big and small, are looking for college graduates who are well-rounded individuals that express interest in various fields. Those varying backgrounds can create a dynamic team that allows the business to grow in ways otherwise not thought possible before, compared to a company that grows at the same pace because their new hiring class only has Finance degrees.

Instead of choosing a major that your parents or a computer suggest to you, select a major that you'll enjoy. When you are excited to learn about the information your professors present to you, you will be surprised how much more you'll learn compared to spending hours leafing through a textbook trying to understand the basics. All and all, if you decide to major in Finance, do it because you love math. If you want to be an Education major, go change the world. And if you go in Undecided, you'll figure out what you enjoy learning the most in due time.

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